Ireland star Robbie Keane to hang up international boots
Thursday 25 August 2016 15:29, UK
Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane has announced he is retiring from international football after next Wednesday's friendly against Oman.
The 36-year-old LA Galaxy forward is the Republic of Ireland's record goalscorer with 67 goals and the most capped player in the nation's history with 145 appearances.
The former Leeds United, Tottenham and Liverpool player was handed his international debut Mick McCarthy at the age of 17 against Czech Republic in 1998 and he scored his first international goal later that year.
Keane became Ireland's leading goalscorer when he overtook Niall Quinn by scoring his 22nd international goal against the Faroe Islands in October 2004 and he went on to net a further 45 times for his country.
In a statement, Keane said: "It has been a wonderful journey for me to have played with the Irish national team for over eighteen years since I made my senior international debut back in 1998. I have enjoyed it all.
"It has also been a great honour, for both me and my family, to have been given the opportunity to captain my country for over ten years.
"As a young boy growing up in Dublin playing football on the street I could never have imagined the path my life would take - it has exceeded my wildest expectations.
"I would never have believed all those years ago that I would get the opportunity to play for my country 145 times and to score 67 goals and through it all, I have never stopped chasing the next one!
"I have been on the most incredible journey with the Irish team and fans over the last 18 years and words cannot express how proud I am to be Irish.
"Each and every time I put on the green jersey it is such an honour."
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Irish manager Martin O'Neill paid tribute to his outgoing captain by saying: "Robbie's appearances and goals for Ireland speak for themselves.
"He is undoubtedly one of Ireland's finest every players and I do not see his international goal record being beaten for a very long time, if ever. It will take us some time to get over his absence."
Former Ireland manager McCarthy told Sky Sports News HQ: "He was a joy to manage, he is a terrific footballer and at the age of 18 he used to light up the place in training games.
"Whether we played home or away, he still played with the same joy. He was like a street footballer that just loved playing.
"He wasn't just a street footballer that just juggled the ball, he had such a quick brain and he was terrific. I think he improved my team instantly as an 18-year-old."
